For the district of Seoul with the same kanji name, seeGangdong District. For the former district of Ningbo in Zhejiang, China, with the same kanji name, seeJiangdong District.
Kōtō (江東区,Kōtō-ku) is aspecial ward in theTokyo Metropolis inJapan. It is known asKōtō City in English. As of May 1, 2025, the ward has an estimated population of 543,730, and a population density of 12,648/km2 (32,760/sq mi). The total area is 42.99 km2 (16.60 sq mi).[1]
Kōtō is east of theTokyo metropolitan center, bounded by theSumida River to the west and theArakawa River to the east. Its major districts include Kameido, Kiba, Kiyosumi, Monzen-nakachō, Shirakawa, andToyosu. The waterfront area ofAriake is in Kōtō, as is part ofOdaiba, Ojima.
Kōtō is on the waterfront ofTokyo Bay, sandwiched between the wards ofChūō andEdogawa. To the north, its inland boundary is with theSumida special ward. Much of the land in northern Kōtō is oldreclaimed land, and the elevation is very low (below sea level). The southern part is relatively new, but there are a few oldtemples orshrines.
Noteworthy places in Kōtō include:
In the former ward of Fukagawa: Kiba, Fukagawa, Edagawa;
In the former ward of Jōtō: Kameido, Ōjima, Sunamachi;
On recently reclaimed land: Ariake, Yumenoshima, Tokyo Rinkai Fukutoshin.
The western part of the ward was formerly part of Fukagawa Ward ofTokyo City. It suffered severe damage in the1923 Great Kantō earthquake and was heavily bombed duringWorld War II. Kōtō Ward was formed in 1947 by the merger ofFukagawa and Jōtō wards. The area has a history of canal-based commerce during the Edo period and was once a center for lumber storage and distribution.
Kōtō City's main office is in Tōyō. There are branch offices in Shirakawa, Tomioka,Toyosu, Komatsubashi, Kameido, Ojima, Sunamachi, and Minamisuna.[10]
Kiba Park is a spacious urban park in Kōtō, covering approximately 238,711 square metres (2,569,460 sq ft). The park features jogging paths, tennis courts, a barbecue area, playgrounds, and open lawns. It is divided into northern and southern sections connected by the Kiba Park Bridge, a prominent pedestrian overpass. The park also includes the Kiba Park Urban Greening Botanical Garden and hosts seasonal events such as the "Flower and Light Movement" illumination.[11][12]
The Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo (MOT), within Kiba Park, opened in 1995. It focuses on contemporary art from the postwar period to the present, with works by both Japanese and international artists, and houses about 5,400 artworks and 280,000 related materials. It underwent a major renovation and reopened in 2019.[13]
